Don't get me wrong, some of the polymer handguns out there are neat and have come a long ways with today's tech, but there's just something about metal hammer-fired handguns that command a certain presence and class that's hard to beat (Browning Hi-Power, CZ 75, Beretta 92FS/M9, Sig P226/MK.25, etc).
I bought on gunbroker what was supposed to be an FEG Hi-Power. I was buying it for a project gun. What i actually I got was an FN Hi-Power. Paid less than $300 for it. Sometimes people on gunbroker have no clue what they actually have.
The Hi-Power was designed to take a 15 round mag. They reduced the capacity to 13 rounds to lower the weight of the pistol for military trials. Hence the dimples on the bottom sides of the mag to reduce capacity to 13. The 15 round mags fit flush because they merely eliminate the dimples. I have Argentine 15/17 rd mags. Often called the South African mag. Flush fit 15rd. Extended floor plate for 17.
I would say the dimples are there to aid on magazine insertion and extraction. The blood groove on bayonets and Ka-Bar USMC 1942s for the same reason. Male anatomy has the same feature if you look underneath. That is likely where the design originated from.
@@JohnDoeEagle1 It's called a fuller, not a blood groove, and it's entire purpose is to reduce weight. Has nothing at all to do with what you described.
I don’t own a hi-power but I shot a completely trashed on surplus hi-power and it stood out as one of the best guns I ever shot. Ever since I am in the market for a version of it.
@@At_the_Bottom probably because they are making them for Springfield at a higher price. Springfield sa-35 magazines are the same mags as mecgar down to the finish & markings. Brand name just makes one more expensive than the other…
@@coonplatoon I might have paid around $600 for mine (after taxes). Maybe $650. The Hungarian FEG ring hammers I had stashed away fit right onto the Girsan just like they did with any FN or any Inglis. The FEGs can be pretty good guns with some minor tuning. All of my FNs have been filed on too.
Santa brought me a Centurion 14 for Christmas, (probably because I would shut up about how good it looked for the price) and I am very pleased with the fit and finish. The finish itself is better than the 2 Original Hi Powers I have in my vault. For those who are planning on uninstalling their Mag Disconnect Safety, I can advise from experience that you should be prepared to possibly have to remove the entire trigger assembly, which is what I had to do, due to the trigger lever on the Centurion being made of thicker stock, and the recess in the frame that it rests in is cut deeper than on the Original Hi Power making it more difficult to just pull it back and then remove the Mage Disconnect. If you do end up having to remove your trigger, do not get nervous, as it is a simple, if not a little fidgety, job. My biggest ask is if anyone knows a list of what is and isn't interchangeable with original Hi Power parts? To my naked eye, it looks as if most, if not all, would be interchangeable, should I need to order parts and one make is unavailable but another is. Overall, without having fired it yet, I can still say that I am very pleased with the quality and I am sure it's going to be a great addition to my collection.
John Browning did the original design for the HiPower, intended to not infringe on his own Colt 1911 patents for FN, his European partner. Diudonne Saive, Browning’s FN protege, finished the design and used more 1911 features after those patents expired.
I love the HP. Other gun makers in 1980s: "We've created a new class of high-capacity 9mm handguns with double-stack magazines that-" FN: "Where ya been for the last fifty years?"
Yepp, pretty much every aspect of the BHP was designed specifically for the French military.. Then once it was complete and submitted to them, in its final form, they were pretty much like: "Nahh, we're gonna go with this _other_ design that has 60% of the mag capacity of The HP, and instead of chamber it 9mm we're gonna go with a proprietary cartridge that'll only be remembered (and coveted) by strange Francophiles in boonie hats with a penchant for "Forgotten Weapons" ..but its a French design, so thanks anyways!" -some frog, probably
FTR, The Canadian Armed Forces STILL have a few High Powers floating around in Reserve units. And those ones are, at best, Vietnam War era guns. Most of the ones I've seen have been so shot out you can see daylight through them.
Even older. All the Hi Powers were made by Inglis all the way back in WW2 as production ended October 1945. I had a chance to shoot one a few yrs ago and it wasn't great. The mags were so old and out of spec, I was getting constant stoppages. The biggest clue was when the weapons tech put the magazines on the ground and stepped on them to correct the feed lips and was like, "yeah, that looks fine."
Brother, you could make decent money as well as provide a great service by offering classes to both the general public and homeschooled children. Love your content and all the great information you deliver! God bless you and yours!
Interesting weapon. I have owned an Ingliss Browning HI-Power [1944] since 1994. Your Century piece looks very much like my Canadian one. It has the Commander style hammer, too. I removed the original Bakelite grips for a Hogue rubber grip, with individual finger grooves. It fits my stubby hands better. That's the only modification I made. The sight is fairly crude, just a front triangular point and a square rear notch. This pistol has a no frills, rough, parkerized finish. Mine was not intended for the Artillery Carbine role. No groove or rail on the backstrap for a shoulder stock, no 5000 meter ranged rear sight ramp. It's an alley shooter. If you're in a firefight inside 50 yards, instinctive point/shoot is better anyway. Double Tap was the shooting style the RMC preferred. It does have the Magazine Out Safety -- with which I'm not thrilled, but I'm not messing with a chunk of history. I usually sling it in a black leather US GI M-7 Tanker/Pilot shoulder rig. A black nylon double mag pouch with the Alice clips removed and reaved thru the two front straps, works well under the right armpit. Being a long-waisted human, I often use a spare black leather handcuff loop to snap on the belt loop snap to reach my belt on the left... Years ago, a friend traded for a Chicom buffalo hide brown leather holster [for the Chinese Tokorev] with his British Khaki web holster, that his father had traded with a friendly Royal Marine during the Korean Police Action in the Early Fifties. That P.35 holster has a reinforced U-channel inside for a spare mag. Remove the U-Channel, and you see it has two 1/16'' holes, one can use to mount the Mag Holder on a surface -- inside an AFV perhaps. It's a very smooth shooter. For an 80 year old pistol, it still feels new. I think it was Lend-Leased to a foreign power, then hoarded until dumped on the surplus market in the mid-'90s. It was a great buy. I enjoyed your video. While I'm not shopping for a Turkish pistol, the 15- and 17-round mags are good to learn about.
Thanks Again, Mr. G, for another great vid. Great bio... Just to add : think BHP was 1st to have a double stack in the mag. Set the standard for modern pistols. Also, a shout out to the gents at BHSpringSolutions in Indiana. They do some amazing and affordable custom work with BHPs and their clones ... including a mag eject developed by Leon Hubert the former FN designer in Belgium ... who is now BHSS's chief weapons designer. Yeah. FN's weapons designer. The guys in Indiana scooped him up. The Turks have been making some great clones (maybe the best) ... guys in Indiana will turn it into a hotrod if you want. Best, and Happy New Year!
I have a couple of FN HI-Powers, one of them has slimmer Pachmayer checkered grips. Another is one of I think 500, an HP-DAc FN made and imported by FNMI. They made 2000 guns, but this is one of the few that are DASA. JB was a genius. Thanks for the vid, Mike on one of my favorite handguns.
I have a parkerized Indian Arms Hi-Power, I believe it is the Inglis pattern (as also used in Canada and the UK). One of the best shooting pistols I own. Strange triangular front sight (similar to some Steyrs) but eats everything I feed it and is superbly accurate.
Left handed shooter here. I have been using the left sided mag release for so long to switch it would be awkward for me. :) Thanks for the excellent review.
Are the vertical cables in your wall assembly hold downs??? If that’s your structure, your builder is doing a pretty neat job. Oh…and I’ve been shooting a Hi Power since 1982, and for what it’s worth, I’ve encountered more P-35s in Africa than any other handgun. They really like their Soviet rifles and Belgian pistols.
A buddy of mine solved his hammer bite problem (with the ring hammer) by cutting away crom.3 oclock to 6 oclock. When he got done, it worked great (like a bobbed spur or maybe a C96 spur), didn't bute at all, and was rather unique.
I knew it was all metal, but even their website does not say the frame/slide is forged. You stated it is forged, which I hope is true. One of the great benefits of the old Browning's is that they lasted forever. I really can't count the thousands of rounds I've put through them. Carried one in condition 1 for years! Agree with the hammer bite problem. For me the remedy on the spur hammers was to shorten them a bit. Still the round hammer was preferred!
Did you hear about the Jacksonville police woman "disarming" the motorist who admitted up front that he was carrying, but made him get out and removed his pistol with her finger on the trigger? There's a million dollar settlement coming.
@bryanst.martin7134 many states require you to tell them up front. Many states require you to tell them if they ask. Many states also have your permit ties to your GL. Sadly, it's nit really that simple....
@@junderwood6633 It's simple that fearful people are recruited to deal with the public at large. Standards have dropped so far that society is at as great a risk from the Popo as the criminals.
The hammer spur or ring is irrelevant to the bite on the hipower. It’s the geometry of the back of the hammer and how low it travels on slide cocking action. Thickness is part of it. Ive modified spurred hammers to no bite easily by removing some material on the back of the hammer at the point where it comes into close proximity with the frame near where the web of your hand sits when gripping the gun.
Hang on - you make it drop free by removing that disconnect you spoke about earlier. It is that disconnect plunger friction against the magazine that stops it dropping out.
@@shuntera I'm thinking that design was for officers not dropping spent mags on the ground...or good for a tactical mag change. Probably eject, then strip the mag out the rest of the way by hand. No John Wick flicking the mag out the gun.
I was wondering this myself. I have a Girsan copy and I’ve been thinking it seemed like that disconnect was rubbing against the magazine and holding it up.
@JR-yn4cu yup. It's also gave the trigger a "gritty feel" some say. Mine is 30 years old and well polished from shooting. My Springfield SA 35 doesn't have that disconnect. Mags drop like butter and it shoots like a dream.
I got the INGLIS L9A1 Hi-Power and love mine. It is a budget option too. All metal history. No magazine safety on mine. Mine has a rugged steel lanyard ring.
This is the version I am leaning towards. It has the Cylinder & Slide style no bite commander hammer straight from the factory. How happy are you with your copy?
Always in for HP content. You pick one up and realize, "this is how a handgun is supposed to feel." Then they added a mag safety. I have a few. I do want to add a German occupied WW2 one to put next to my Inglis. I've always wondered what stories it could tell.
With current amount of Gen 3 Glock clones flooding the market, its nice to see The Browning High Power clones for well rounded market that benefits us who can't afford a high price factory sidearm. Thanks for review.
I carried the Hi-Power as my EDC for 9 years of my 10 year of working in the US during the late 80's-early 90's. I kept the gun stock to reduce the chance of providing ammunition to any DA if I did have to use the Hi-Power in a self defence situation. at the time I started carrying the Hi-Power was the only high capacity pistol on the market and I had already been trained to use it in the UK which is my home so it made sense to carry it. With a suggested retail price of just over $400 if I happened to be returning to the US for a serious length of time then I'd be happy to carry the Hi-Power again along with a couple of 17 rounds, Nickel-Stainless / Hard-Chrome Magazine from BH Spring Solutions which are a tad expensive at $72.08, I'd rather pay for something that is going to last just like the Hi-Power.
I once had a CZ Browning HP. I thought was one of the coolest firearms outside the Beretta 92 when I was younger. The capacity over the .45 was why I thought it was better.
As someone who has wanted to concealed carry a Hi Power for years now, I have pretty much given up on them coming out with a Compact Hi Power and just got myself a CZ75 compact instead. Why wait when another company basically did the concept perfectly, basically 50 years ago?
There's nothing short of awesome about the 1911 or Hi-power triggers. Browning was superb in the design of each. Canik does a decent trigger job with their striker-fired pistols, but a good hammer-fired 1911 or HP will always have the best triggers in my humble opinion.
Thank you for the AWESOME REVIEW! I have been looking for true Hi Power Clone since I have the Girsan MP35 Ops with Rail and Beavertail but I still have not found a holster for it so I was thinking about getting a SA35 after the holidays but your review of the Centurion 14 and the Dealer Price that I found makes it a MISTAKE Not to get one if anything just as a Beater 9mm pistol. I already have plenty of Tupperware pistols from Glock, SIG, Walther and Smith and Wesson but I have been looking for Retro pistols lately to add to my collection like 3rd Gen SW, Hi Power Clones and some of the Retro 1911s.
The Hi-Power is the shizzle dizzle. 😊 Seriously though, the ergonomics of the pistol fits most hands well. It’s one of the most naturally pointing handguns of all time. Its only real faults are the hammer bite and the trigger. Both can be remedied (unfortunately) by a custom gunsmith. I believe if modern 9mm ammo was produced 30 years sooner, we’d be seeing a different landscape as it pertains to more aftermarket support for the Hi-Power.
Depends on the criteria you're comparing it to. Price, it's the most affordable BHP clone. Centurion 14 has the magazine disconnect (some consider that a negative). The most basic thumb safety. Decent sights. Base Girsan (MC-P35) also has mag disconnect; early base model versions have "crappy sights". Girsan Match and Ops models don't have the mag disconnect. Ambi thumb safety. Priced between Centurion 14 and SA-35. I think the Match and Ops models are between the Centurion 14 and Springfield SA-35 price-wise. Springfield SA-35 doesn't have the mag disconnect. Pretty smooth trigger. Decent sights. No ambi thumb safety. Inglis P35 (and the other Inglis models) don't have the mag disconnect. The mid-range model (P-35b) has fiber optic front sight. Ambi safety. My preference is still the Springfield SA-35 first, then Centurion 14, Inglis P35, and then Girsan MC-P35. They all shoot pretty good though.
I was really torn between two Turkish clones because genuine High Powers are next to impossible to find at a realistic price and the Berretta 92 Clone. Went with the 92 clone by Girsan and I like it very much.
I bought a Browning Hi Power Mk III in the 1990's and at the time it was the most expensive firearm I bought. Very happy with mine it can shoot more accurate than I can. I never did anything but FMJ in mine and it shot everything i put through it.
I have a 1995 Browning Hi-Power high polished blued, checkered walnut grips and adjustable sights. It's a beauty and shoots great. I paid $700 for it when I bought it.
Wish I still had my great grandfather's early Belgian contract FN HiPower. Fn Canadian governor, I'm going to have to get one of these to replace it now that I'm in the US.
BEAVERTAIL!!! I love the hi power but it cuts my hand every time. I love my girsan model even more because it has a beaver tail. Waiting for a polished stainless hi power, hopefully with beavertail
I have a full size Arcus 98da. Got a bhpSolutions spring kit it it, with walnut panels. I did a trigger job, silk trigger all around. Drilled an tapped a set screw in the trigger for a stop. My early 70s Bhps are deep in the safe...i have fun shooting the Arcus. I also cut off the beaver tail ...not needed, and I have meat in the web of my hand. Awesome video ❤ the hi-power design.
The two piece barrel has pretty much been standard for the life of the pistol. I've never seen one come apart. I have seen 2 piece M1911 barrels come apart.
My understanding is that when FN designed the High Power they sent it to John Browning to see what he thought of it. Also the reason the magazine does not drop free is because it drags on the disconnect. I found this out when comparing my Girsan MC P35 PI, which has the disconnect,to my Girsan MC P35 Match and Springfield SA 35 which do not have the disconnect.
When the gun was designed, everyone was thought to shoot with one hand. So, if you're hitting the slide lock, remember that. Go find the US Army training video from WW2.
The problem stems from post 2004/05 handgun grip styles that incorrectly hinder and cause many semi-auto handguns to inadvertently malfunction. One person teaching classes came up with them and they spread like wildfire among the masses of newer shooter as "the only way". We all still use the "wedge hold" and none of this occurs. You also can shoot much more precise and accurately. The trigger guard notch as put on most pistols for a reason. You should look into using it and not trying to reinvent the wheel yourselves.
It became more widespread among the NoObs when Lena Miculek (Jerry's daughter) started using the wedge hold again. Massad Ayoob still uses it as does Nutnfancy. I saw James Reeves from TFB start using it again recently too. It was always there and I never changed myself. Maybe the new way isn't the best way. That is more often than not the case in these types of things.
I Enjoy your videos very much !!! Thank You for being so good with the truth of your content n if the gun isn’t good you say So !!!!💥💥🔫 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Commy CT.🇺🇸
FN did start making the Hi Power again, but it has been redesigned and has a 17 rnd standard capacity. It's actually really nice, but I just can't justify one right now.
Mec-gar makes the best mags in the world. That being said for the utmost reliability in a Hi Power use the 13rnd magazines. Don't use the 15s. To get that capacity they changed the follower design. They removed the legs/posts on the bottom of the follower. In the 15rnd mag the follower can tip. The rounds can end up nose down and jamming up the gun. It happens. Anyone can read plenty about it online. I use only 13 round magazines in all of my Hi Powers. I want reliability over the extra 2 rounds. Imagine having 15 but then it fails after a few rounds. It can happen.
A potentially big selling point that should be mentioned with every good Hi-Power, it was Axel Foley's weapon of choice. When I was like six, I had a little toy gun that shot little plastic bb's. It looked like a Whitney Wolverine, but I think it said "Zebra" on the slide. Anyway, I came down for breakfast one morning, and my mom asked me why I had a gun in the back of the waistband of my Ninja Turtle sweat pants. I said "cause Axel Foley". I still wanna be Axel Foley. 😞
@JohnDoeEagle1 In the promo pic where he is sitting on the hood of the car, he is holding a 1911. I don't know about the music video. In the movie he uses a blued Hi Power. I suggest you check out Beverly Hills Cop IMFDB. Screenshots of all the guns used in the film.
Be sure and visit Mrgunsngear.com for all the latest 🇺🇸
th-cam.com/video/uzmdpsgE9SQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=ZhZdF4pMdwo8NqHL
Sorry if this is a duplicate, I sent it to you earlier not sure if it went through. This gets interesting about halfway through.
Don't get me wrong, some of the polymer handguns out there are neat and have come a long ways with today's tech, but there's just something about metal hammer-fired handguns that command a certain presence and class that's hard to beat (Browning Hi-Power, CZ 75, Beretta 92FS/M9, Sig P226/MK.25, etc).
absolutely
"Heavy is good, heavy is reliable. If it doesn't work … you can always hit them with it," Boris The Blade
Amen
The Hi-Power is perfection. Set the standard. The Glock is the same. Set the standard for Polymer pistols. I love both.
@@rmaa8110 I used to be able to bench 4 Highpoint .45s in my heyday! 😉
It’s awesome to see a budget-friendly clone hitting the range.
I bought on gunbroker what was supposed to be an FEG Hi-Power. I was buying it for a project gun. What i actually I got was an FN Hi-Power. Paid less than $300 for it. Sometimes people on gunbroker have no clue what they actually have.
The Hi-Power was designed to take a 15 round mag. They reduced the capacity to 13 rounds to lower the weight of the pistol for military trials. Hence the dimples on the bottom sides of the mag to reduce capacity to 13. The 15 round mags fit flush because they merely eliminate the dimples.
I have Argentine 15/17 rd mags. Often called the South African mag. Flush fit 15rd. Extended floor plate for 17.
I would say the dimples are there to aid on magazine insertion and extraction. The blood groove on bayonets and Ka-Bar USMC 1942s for the same reason. Male anatomy has the same feature if you look underneath. That is likely where the design originated from.
Busse Combat Team Gemini Light Brigades also have those grooves as do many other combat knives.
@@JohnDoeEagle1 unless the magazine jams half way out, you arent getting your fingers on the dimples at all.
Do your 17round ext. floor plates have any markings stamped/molded into them?
@@JohnDoeEagle1 It's called a fuller, not a blood groove, and it's entire purpose is to reduce weight. Has nothing at all to do with what you described.
I don’t own a hi-power but I shot a completely trashed on surplus hi-power and it stood out as one of the best guns I ever shot. Ever since I am in the market for a version of it.
Mec-gar used to make 20 round stendos for the hi-power and those really need to come back into production.
The 15round MecGar's have been out of stock like, forever!
Mecgar will be releasing 17 rounders soon!
@@At_the_Bottom probably because they are making them for Springfield at a higher price. Springfield sa-35 magazines are the same mags as mecgar down to the finish & markings. Brand name just makes one more expensive than the other…
@@turbolegend3976 *DAMN you* Springfield!! Lol
Makes sense tho, shoulda figured as much. Best BHP mags on the market.
@@At_the_Bottom yep I have one mecgar mag and 4 Springfield mags. They are the exact same, but I paid an arm & leg for the Springfield mags lol
I now buy from Brownells because of you
Thank you
That a boy.
I own both a Browning and an FEG Hi Power. My Girsan shoots circles around both of them. The Centurion 14 is next on my list. Great guns.
How much was the girshan?
@@coonplatoon I might have paid around $600 for mine (after taxes). Maybe $650. The Hungarian FEG ring hammers I had stashed away fit right onto the Girsan just like they did with any FN or any Inglis. The FEGs can be pretty good guns with some minor tuning. All of my FNs have been filed on too.
@@coonplatoon honestly about $200 more than the Centurion and I don't see a lick of difference between the two.
Santa brought me a Centurion 14 for Christmas, (probably because I would shut up about how good it looked for the price) and I am very pleased with the fit and finish. The finish itself is better than the 2 Original Hi Powers I have in my vault.
For those who are planning on uninstalling their Mag Disconnect Safety, I can advise from experience that you should be prepared to possibly have to remove the entire trigger assembly, which is what I had to do, due to the trigger lever on the Centurion being made of thicker stock, and the recess in the frame that it rests in is cut deeper than on the Original Hi Power making it more difficult to just pull it back and then remove the Mage Disconnect.
If you do end up having to remove your trigger, do not get nervous, as it is a simple, if not a little fidgety, job.
My biggest ask is if anyone knows a list of what is and isn't interchangeable with original Hi Power parts?
To my naked eye, it looks as if most, if not all, would be interchangeable, should I need to order parts and one make is unavailable but another is.
Overall, without having fired it yet, I can still say that I am very pleased with the quality and I am sure it's going to be a great addition to my collection.
Reading your greatly appreciated comment, I'm wondering if I can swap out the trigger for a combat trigger at Brownells
John Browning did the original design for the HiPower, intended to not infringe on his own Colt 1911 patents for FN, his European partner. Diudonne Saive, Browning’s FN protege, finished the design and used more 1911 features after those patents expired.
Thanks for the interesting factoid, I'm trying to acquire a Winchester 1911 shotgun due to my long standing interest in patent lore
I love the HP.
Other gun makers in 1980s: "We've created a new class of high-capacity 9mm handguns with double-stack magazines that-"
FN: "Where ya been for the last fifty years?"
I had heard somewhere that the French government required the magazine disconnect. No MIM parts is very attractive. Thanks Mike
yup; some did and some didn't
Today's MIM parts are 100x better then 10 years ago. Most guys have some level of MIM in them now.
Also heard that they didn’t buy them. I cannot imagine why they didn’t fix THAT mistake.
Yepp, pretty much every aspect of the BHP was designed specifically for the French military.. Then once it was complete and submitted to them, in its final form, they were pretty much like:
"Nahh, we're gonna go with this _other_ design that has 60% of the mag capacity of The HP, and instead of chamber it 9mm we're gonna go with a proprietary cartridge that'll only be remembered (and coveted) by strange Francophiles in boonie hats with a penchant for "Forgotten Weapons" ..but its a French design, so thanks anyways!" -some frog, probably
Hi power is my all time favorite handgun have 10 of them all totally custom
I’ve been practicing pulling it out and putting it back in for years.
Seems like that is goin right over most heads.....
So to speak.
rick in Tennessee.
Non Canadian Special Operations Forces Command units in Afghanistan still carried the Hi Power. The C-22 (Sig 320) replaced it in recent years.
Nice. Now i can learn how to do the mozambique drill
So close to a million. Keep going!
I had a browning hi power nazi stamped with bring back paper. All matching. I never should have gotten rid of it. Kicking myself
Wow - hindsight is truly 20:20.
Wouldn't removing the mag safety allow the mags to drop more easily? Love your videos! Make more, please.
FTR, The Canadian Armed Forces STILL have a few High Powers floating around in Reserve units. And those ones are, at best, Vietnam War era guns. Most of the ones I've seen have been so shot out you can see daylight through them.
Even older. All the Hi Powers were made by Inglis all the way back in WW2 as production ended October 1945. I had a chance to shoot one a few yrs ago and it wasn't great. The mags were so old and out of spec, I was getting constant stoppages. The biggest clue was when the weapons tech put the magazines on the ground and stepped on them to correct the feed lips and was like, "yeah, that looks fine."
i got one from PSA today based on your review ...thanks!
If you remove the magazine safely, the mags are drop free.
Also, I’ve found that the 15+ rounds magazines do not lock the slide back reliably.
Brother, you could make decent money as well as provide a great service by offering classes to both the general public and homeschooled children.
Love your content and all the great information you deliver! God bless you and yours!
Interesting weapon. I have owned an Ingliss Browning HI-Power [1944] since 1994. Your Century piece looks very much like my Canadian one. It has the Commander style hammer, too. I removed the original Bakelite grips for a Hogue rubber grip, with individual finger grooves. It fits my stubby hands better. That's the only modification I made. The sight is fairly crude, just a front triangular point and a square rear notch. This pistol has a no frills, rough, parkerized finish. Mine was not intended for the Artillery Carbine role. No groove or rail on the backstrap for a shoulder stock, no 5000 meter ranged rear sight ramp. It's an alley shooter. If you're in a firefight inside 50 yards, instinctive point/shoot is better anyway. Double Tap was the shooting style the RMC preferred. It does have the Magazine Out Safety -- with which I'm not thrilled, but I'm not messing with a chunk of history. I usually sling it in a black leather US GI M-7 Tanker/Pilot shoulder rig. A black nylon double mag pouch with the Alice clips removed and reaved thru the two front straps, works well under the right armpit. Being a long-waisted human, I often use a spare black leather handcuff loop to snap on the belt loop snap to reach my belt on the left... Years ago, a friend traded for a Chicom buffalo hide brown leather holster [for the Chinese Tokorev] with his British Khaki web holster, that his father had traded with a friendly Royal Marine during the Korean Police Action in the Early Fifties. That P.35 holster has a reinforced U-channel inside for a spare mag. Remove the U-Channel, and you see it has two 1/16'' holes, one can use to mount the Mag Holder on a surface -- inside an AFV perhaps.
It's a very smooth shooter. For an 80 year old pistol, it still feels new. I think it was Lend-Leased to a foreign power, then hoarded until dumped on the surplus market in the mid-'90s. It was a great buy. I enjoyed your video. While I'm not shopping for a Turkish pistol, the 15- and 17-round mags are good to learn about.
Thanks Again, Mr. G, for another great vid. Great bio... Just to add : think BHP was 1st to have a double stack in the mag. Set the standard for modern pistols.
Also, a shout out to the gents at BHSpringSolutions in Indiana. They do some amazing and affordable custom work with BHPs and their clones ... including a mag eject developed by Leon Hubert the former FN designer in Belgium ... who is now BHSS's chief weapons designer. Yeah. FN's weapons designer. The guys in Indiana scooped him up. The Turks have been making some great clones (maybe the best) ... guys in Indiana will turn it into a hotrod if you want. Best, and Happy New Year!
I have a couple of FN HI-Powers, one of them has slimmer Pachmayer checkered grips.
Another is one of I think 500, an HP-DAc FN made and imported by FNMI. They made 2000
guns, but this is one of the few that are DASA. JB was a genius. Thanks for the vid, Mike on
one of my favorite handguns.
I'd like to see the Springfield version reviewed.
My dad sold my 1953 Belgian Hi-Power. That pistol was PERFECT. My fav ever auto pistol.
I have a parkerized Indian Arms Hi-Power, I believe it is the Inglis pattern (as also used in Canada and the UK). One of the best shooting pistols I own. Strange triangular front sight (similar to some Steyrs) but eats everything I feed it and is superbly accurate.
One of my favorites that and the CZ75 very fine 9's .
I have a Bill Laughridge modified Hi Power.
It’s one of the nicest things I own.
Left handed shooter here. I have been using the left sided mag release for so long to switch it would be awkward for me. :) Thanks for the excellent review.
Here for it!
🇺🇸
That hammer bite tho. If I ever bought another one, it would require an extended beavertail. Good review as always, Sir.
None of them get extended beaver except the spinoff derivat8ves
Always good content!
Hope you hit that million subscribers milestone soon bud, cheers
Ditto
I love Mec-Gar mags.
Merry Christmas Mike
Brownells saving the day.
Are the vertical cables in your wall assembly hold downs??? If that’s your structure, your builder is doing a pretty neat job. Oh…and I’ve been shooting a Hi Power since 1982, and for what it’s worth, I’ve encountered more P-35s in Africa than any other handgun. They really like their Soviet rifles and Belgian pistols.
I got one for my new carry gun and absolutely love it
A buddy of mine solved his hammer bite problem (with the ring hammer) by cutting away crom.3 oclock to 6 oclock. When he got done, it worked great (like a bobbed spur or maybe a C96 spur), didn't bute at all, and was rather unique.
A short Bob of the regular hammer works well to.
The Springfield SA35 mags work also
They should they are Mecgar
I knew it was all metal, but even their website does not say the frame/slide is forged. You stated it is forged, which I hope is true. One of the great benefits of the old Browning's is that they lasted forever. I really can't count the thousands of rounds I've put through them. Carried one in condition 1 for years! Agree with the hammer bite problem. For me the remedy on the spur hammers was to shorten them a bit. Still the round hammer was preferred!
Did you hear about the Jacksonville police woman "disarming" the motorist who admitted up front that he was carrying, but made him get out and removed his pistol with her finger on the trigger? There's a million dollar settlement coming.
I didn't 😂
@@Mrgunsngear Recent, look it up.
@@Mrgunsngear IWB carry... Non fatal leg wound. Don't tell if they don't need to know.
@bryanst.martin7134 many states require you to tell them up front. Many states require you to tell them if they ask. Many states also have your permit ties to your GL. Sadly, it's nit really that simple....
@@junderwood6633 It's simple that fearful people are recruited to deal with the public at large.
Standards have dropped so far that society is at as great a risk from the Popo as the criminals.
The hammer spur or ring is irrelevant to the bite on the hipower. It’s the geometry of the back of the hammer and how low it travels on slide cocking action. Thickness is part of it. Ive modified spurred hammers to no bite easily by removing some material on the back of the hammer at the point where it comes into close proximity with the frame near where the web of your hand sits when gripping the gun.
I'd like to see you review the FN Hi Power, the modern version. I knkw it's not everyone's cup of tea.
I need this in 40 S&W.
Hang on - you make it drop free by removing that disconnect you spoke about earlier. It is that disconnect plunger friction against the magazine that stops it dropping out.
@@shuntera I'm thinking that design was for officers not dropping spent mags on the ground...or good for a tactical mag change. Probably eject, then strip the mag out the rest of the way by hand. No John Wick flicking the mag out the gun.
Wish I had all the Belgian made BHPs I've had in the way past. This may be on my list now.
@@redowlmoon7733same.
I was wondering this myself. I have a Girsan copy and I’ve been thinking it seemed like that disconnect was rubbing against the magazine and holding it up.
@JR-yn4cu yup. It's also gave the trigger a "gritty feel" some say. Mine is 30 years old and well polished from shooting. My Springfield SA 35 doesn't have that disconnect. Mags drop like butter and it shoots like a dream.
Best aiming pistol I ever carried!
Absolutely
By far
Hands down
And any other superlatives you’d like to use.
I got the INGLIS L9A1 Hi-Power and love mine. It is a budget option too. All metal history. No magazine safety on mine. Mine has a rugged steel lanyard ring.
This is the version I am leaning towards. It has the Cylinder & Slide style no bite commander hammer straight from the factory.
How happy are you with your copy?
Always in for HP content. You pick one up and realize, "this is how a handgun is supposed to feel." Then they added a mag safety. I have a few. I do want to add a German occupied WW2 one to put next to my Inglis. I've always wondered what stories it could tell.
With current amount of Gen 3 Glock clones flooding the market, its nice to see The Browning High Power clones for well rounded market that benefits us who can't afford a high price factory sidearm. Thanks for review.
What was old is new again. Funny how that keeps happening.
Always wanted a High Power, real or clone.
I carried the Hi-Power as my EDC for 9 years of my 10 year of working in the US during the late 80's-early 90's. I kept the gun stock to reduce the chance of providing ammunition to any DA if I did have to use the Hi-Power in a self defence situation. at the time I started carrying the Hi-Power was the only high capacity pistol on the market and I had already been trained to use it in the UK which is my home so it made sense to carry it.
With a suggested retail price of just over $400 if I happened to be returning to the US for a serious length of time then I'd be happy to carry the Hi-Power again along with a couple of 17 rounds, Nickel-Stainless / Hard-Chrome Magazine from BH Spring Solutions which are a tad expensive at $72.08, I'd rather pay for something that is going to last just like the Hi-Power.
I once had a CZ Browning HP. I thought was one of the coolest firearms outside the Beretta 92 when I was younger. The capacity over the .45 was why I thought it was better.
As someone who has wanted to concealed carry a Hi Power for years now, I have pretty much given up on them coming out with a Compact Hi Power and just got myself a CZ75 compact instead. Why wait when another company basically did the concept perfectly, basically 50 years ago?
fair enough
Nice. And i have a shoebox full of Hi Power mags.
Good stuff!
Thank you
There's nothing short of awesome about the 1911 or Hi-power triggers. Browning was superb in the design of each. Canik does a decent trigger job with their striker-fired pistols, but a good hammer-fired 1911 or HP will always have the best triggers in my humble opinion.
Thank you Sir
The mouse trap style magazine ejects pretty well in these pistols.
Thank you for the AWESOME REVIEW! I have been looking for true Hi Power Clone since I have the Girsan MP35 Ops with Rail and Beavertail but I still have not found a holster for it so I was thinking about getting a SA35 after the holidays but your review of the Centurion 14 and the Dealer Price that I found makes it a MISTAKE Not to get one if anything just as a Beater 9mm pistol.
I already have plenty of Tupperware pistols from Glock, SIG, Walther and Smith and Wesson but I have been looking for Retro pistols lately to add to my collection like 3rd Gen SW, Hi Power Clones and some of the Retro 1911s.
Yep have to have it.
Girsen only came with one mag also. The rumor is it was,shipped with 2 but the importer removed it.
5:10 will removing the magazine disconnect help? I heard it's supposed to
Yes. First thing I did to mine. And very easy to do.
Most guns ive purchased only come with one mag i was happy my Taurus 92 came with 2 mags
Keep it clean. If you polish the feed ramp it will have few feed problems. My factory unit from 1990 is one of my favorites.
I love clones
The Hi-Power is the shizzle dizzle. 😊 Seriously though, the ergonomics of the pistol fits most hands well. It’s one of the most naturally pointing handguns of all time. Its only real faults are the hammer bite and the trigger. Both can be remedied (unfortunately) by a custom gunsmith. I believe if modern 9mm ammo was produced 30 years sooner, we’d be seeing a different landscape as it pertains to more aftermarket support for the Hi-Power.
Awesome thank you. For the algorithm:-)
🇺🇸
Compared to the Springfield option. Where would this fall?
Depends on the criteria you're comparing it to.
Price, it's the most affordable BHP clone.
Centurion 14 has the magazine disconnect (some consider that a negative). The most basic thumb safety. Decent sights.
Base Girsan (MC-P35) also has mag disconnect; early base model versions have "crappy sights". Girsan Match and Ops models don't have the mag disconnect. Ambi thumb safety. Priced between Centurion 14 and SA-35. I think the Match and Ops models are between the Centurion 14 and Springfield SA-35 price-wise.
Springfield SA-35 doesn't have the mag disconnect. Pretty smooth trigger. Decent sights. No ambi thumb safety.
Inglis P35 (and the other Inglis models) don't have the mag disconnect. The mid-range model (P-35b) has fiber optic front sight. Ambi safety.
My preference is still the Springfield SA-35 first, then Centurion 14, Inglis P35, and then Girsan MC-P35. They all shoot pretty good though.
its an AMAZING pistol when you take the magazine disconnect out ...wow what a big difference
I was really torn between two Turkish clones because genuine High Powers are next to impossible to find at a realistic price and the Berretta 92 Clone. Went with the 92 clone by Girsan and I like it very much.
The gun that killed John Browning... impressive.
😁
I bought a Browning Hi Power Mk III in the 1990's and at the time it was the most expensive firearm I bought. Very happy with mine it can shoot more accurate than I can. I never did anything but FMJ in mine and it shot everything i put through it.
I bought a commercial Argentine Hi-Power in the 90s. Sloppy fit & finish, but the thing is a laser. Most accurate pistol I own.
I have a 1995 Browning Hi-Power high polished blued, checkered walnut grips and adjustable sights. It's a beauty and shoots great. I paid $700 for it when I bought it.
Gray plastic clam shell box. It's a Browning not a clone!
👍👊🔥 algorithm interaction bump
Wish I still had my great grandfather's early Belgian contract FN HiPower. Fn Canadian governor, I'm going to have to get one of these to replace it now that I'm in the US.
"if I wasn't messing up, the gun would do just fine."
🔥🔥🔥
it's true 😂
Looks like this is coming from where Springfield Armory is sourcing their SA-35. The reprofiled rowel hammer is a dead giveaway. Same as on the SA-35!
FN does make the High-Power under their brand name
Check out the Apex extended mags/magwell grips. They fit most hi power clones (I fitted one to a. Lone that is was supposed to fit)
I really wonder how the new FN HP Gen.2 is doing, considering so many clones of the 1st gen are now coming out.
I travel to India a couple of times a year for work and the military in the airports still carry HP's.
BEAVERTAIL!!! I love the hi power but it cuts my hand every time. I love my girsan model even more because it has a beaver tail. Waiting for a polished stainless hi power, hopefully with beavertail
Considering a Hi Power clone so trying to find out which one is best of the "other than Springfield" ones.
I have a full size Arcus 98da. Got a bhpSolutions spring kit it it, with walnut panels. I did a trigger job, silk trigger all around. Drilled an tapped a set screw in the trigger for a stop. My early 70s Bhps are deep in the safe...i have fun shooting the Arcus. I also cut off the beaver tail ...not needed, and I have meat in the web of my hand. Awesome video ❤ the hi-power design.
Nice set up
My concern is the 2 piece barrel that might come apart with a steady diet of nato / +p loads. But what's the odds? has happened though.
thanks for the report
The two piece barrel has pretty much been standard for the life of the pistol. I've never seen one come apart. I have seen 2 piece M1911 barrels come apart.
I won't run +P ammo in these anyways. There are guns that handle that much better. But that's just me. I can't afford to replace my Mk3 right now.
My understanding is that when FN designed the High Power they sent it to John Browning to see what he thought of it. Also the reason the magazine does not drop free is because it drags on the disconnect. I found this out when comparing my Girsan MC P35 PI, which has the disconnect,to my Girsan MC P35 Match and Springfield SA 35 which do not have the disconnect.
Browning designed most of the Hi-Power himself. It wasn't until he died in 1926 that FN began finishing it.
And Dieudonne Saive completed the pistol by 1935. So John Browning was dead for almost 10 years when the Hi Power was completed.
When the gun was designed, everyone was thought to shoot with one hand. So, if you're hitting the slide lock, remember that. Go find the US Army training video from WW2.
The problem stems from post 2004/05 handgun grip styles that incorrectly hinder and cause many semi-auto handguns to inadvertently malfunction. One person teaching classes came up with them and they spread like wildfire among the masses of newer shooter as "the only way". We all still use the "wedge hold" and none of this occurs. You also can shoot much more precise and accurately. The trigger guard notch as put on most pistols for a reason. You should look into using it and not trying to reinvent the wheel yourselves.
It became more widespread among the NoObs when Lena Miculek (Jerry's daughter) started using the wedge hold again. Massad Ayoob still uses it as does Nutnfancy. I saw James Reeves from TFB start using it again recently too. It was always there and I never changed myself. Maybe the new way isn't the best way. That is more often than not the case in these types of things.
Kind of curious if this is a Tisas or Girsan, have examples of both in my collection and they match up well with the vintage ones.
10:36 Why does the barrel feed ramp look so janky
The infamous humped feed ramp off the BHP.
I Enjoy your videos very much !!! Thank You for being so good with the truth of your content n if the gun isn’t good you say So !!!!💥💥🔫 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Commy CT.🇺🇸
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
@ Thanks so much, you’re toooo Coool !!!☃️💥💥💥🔫🇺🇸🇺🇸 Honestly hope you enjoy the Holiday Season 🙏🍀
FN did start making the Hi Power again, but it has been redesigned and has a 17 rnd standard capacity. It's actually really nice, but I just can't justify one right now.
Lets get it
Indeed
Hi Al
Mec-gar makes the best mags in the world. That being said for the utmost reliability in a Hi Power use the 13rnd magazines. Don't use the 15s. To get that capacity they changed the follower design. They removed the legs/posts on the bottom of the follower. In the 15rnd mag the follower can tip. The rounds can end up nose down and jamming up the gun. It happens. Anyone can read plenty about it online. I use only 13 round magazines in all of my Hi Powers. I want reliability over the extra 2 rounds. Imagine having 15 but then it fails after a few rounds. It can happen.
thanks for the report
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A potentially big selling point that should be mentioned with every good Hi-Power, it was Axel Foley's weapon of choice.
When I was like six, I had a little toy gun that shot little plastic bb's. It looked like a Whitney Wolverine, but I think it said "Zebra" on the slide. Anyway, I came down for breakfast one morning, and my mom asked me why I had a gun in the back of the waistband of my Ninja Turtle sweat pants. I said "cause Axel Foley".
I still wanna be Axel Foley. 😞
His was nickel and it launched the Browning Hi-Power comeback craze at the time.
The bad guy in Crocodile Dundee 2, bad guys in Dead Bang.... and Al Pacino in Serpico all used Hi-Powers as well.
@@JohnDoeEagle1No, Axel carried a blued one. The bad guy in Axel F (#4) carried a matte nickel Hi Power.
@@tylerwilliams6022
Negative...look at the Movie promo pic and music video for Bob Seger Shakedown. It's nickel.....
@JohnDoeEagle1 In the promo pic where he is sitting on the hood of the car, he is holding a 1911. I don't know about the music video. In the movie he uses a blued Hi Power. I suggest you check out Beverly Hills Cop IMFDB. Screenshots of all the guns used in the film.
Are the sights adaptable to night sights?
I don't know